Haphazard Heptagon
by BunnyBandit
Summary: Life's one big soap opera, but at least they've got each other. AU. [AkuRoku][SoRiku][Zemyx][misc. others]
1. Pringles

Wow, I've been gone for a long time. I highly doubt any of you have read any of my previous stories, 'cause I wasn't so fantastic at writing back then, just a silly child who fancied the idea of manipulating characters without really understanding how to... But, anywhooooo, I've had this story idea in my head for a LONG time. Like, since I played Kingdom Hearts II. It's undergone several revisions, both in my mind and on the computer (come to think of it, different computers as well) as have all the characters in some way or another. New locations have been added, new characters, new scenarios. I don't know where the story will lead. I don't know where it will end. I have a lot of ideas and scenarios in mind. Rating is subject to change, as is genre, plot, and so on and so forth.

Just be patient with me, 'cause this is my first story in a LONG time. I'm actually starting from scratch, 'cause some of the characters changed from what I had them as originally. As of yet, this story is unbeta'ed. The one friend of mine who I WOULD have beta this for me has not yet played Kingdom Hearts II (tragedy, I know) and the rest of my friends think fanfiction is weird (another tragedy. For some reason they think it's all psycho anime cosplayers. Nothing against cosplayers. I happen to love anime and manga myself, so I'm already weird enough in their books.). So here we go!

**Story Title:** Haphazard Heptagon

**Genre:** Drama/Humor

**Rating:** T, for now. I don't plan on writing any citrus, just to basically leave it to the imagination should the situation arise for any of our little lovelies.

**Summary: **Life's one big soap opera, but at least they've got each other. AU.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts II, nor any of the Final Fantasies. I do not own any of the characters (except for Hatsuware and few other OCs), nor any places, creatures, currency, weapons, spells, what have you. Everything but the plot and the aforementioned OCs is the property of Square Enix. I am making no profit from this fiction and no copyright infringement is intended. Oh, and I don't own Pringles either, nor the phrase "Once you pop, you just can't stop."

**Main Characters** (in no particular order, with little tidbits of information)

**Roxas Hikari** - Younger brother to Sora. Recently moved from Traverse Town. Age 15, entering sophomore year in high school.

**Sora Hikari** - Older brother to Roxas. Recently moved from Traverse Town. Age 16, entering junior year in high school.

**Riku Ukuhota** - Half-brother to Axel. Best friend to Sora. Rich. Age 16, entering junior year in high school.

**Axel Ukuhota** - Half-brother to Riku. Sleeps around. Rich. Age 16, entering junior year in high school.

**Hatsuware Itsuko** - My very own OC. Neighbor to Demyx. Broken home. Age 15, entering sophomore year in high school.

**Demyx Kawashi** - Neighbor to Hatsuware. Broken home. Age 15, entering sophomore year in high school.

**Zexion Jumine** - Parent figure of the group. Obscurely rich. Age 16, entering junior year in high school.

**Note on surnames:** they are, for the most part, Japanese influenced, but not accurate in terms of ANYTHING, except for Roxas' and Sora's, which means light, for those who didn't know. Riku and Axel's is loosely based around the character for fire (which, last I checked, was "hota"). Demyx's is loosely based around the character for "river" (which, again, last I checked, was "kawa"). Hatsuware and Zexion's don't mean anything in particular. Zexion's is pronounced joo-mee-ney, 'kay? Oh, right, and I wanted Hatsuware, Roxas, and Demyx's to all be relatively close alphabetically for a sake later revealed in the plot.

**Pairings**

I won't actually be listing any pairings until they're evident and you can more or less tell by yourself. But to let you all know, several of the pairings, especially those involving the male main characters, will be gay. That's right. Don't like it, don't read it. Also, the OC will NOT be paired with anybody who is traditionally (to some people) paired with somebody else. Meaning to say, she gets none of the main characters, or major side characters. Yeah, you'll get what I mean when the story's underway.

Additional notes: I'm not using any particular Kingdom Hearts II or Final Fantasy world. They're all just sort of warped together, and not ALL towns and cities and whatnot are there. The non-Disney towns of KHII and several cities from Final Fantasy VII will be included, as well as characters from all throughout the franchise. Currency will range from gil to munny from place to place. No storylines from either KHII or any other Final Fantasies will be figuring in this fic.

Alright, that seems like it's about it... On with the show!

* * *

Roxas Hikari struggled valiantly up the cobblestone hill, wheezing vehemently and toting a large cardboard box labeled "Sora's Stuff". He cursed when he felt resistance, and peered around the edge of the box to see that he had somehow run into the mirror of the moving truck. He moved to the left and resumed the seemingly futile walk into his family's new house. It seemed like it would never happen. Too far away, and the box is too heavy. What the hell was in the damn box anyway? Not that he blamed Sora for it. It was his brother's own perogative to fill a box with what seemed to be triple his weight in solid steel. And it was Roxas' perogative to drop said box of what seemed to be solid steel on Sora's foot next time he saw him.

... Come to think of it...

Where was Sora? He vaguely remembered something about 'going to Riku's'.

Roxas sighed and nudged the door with his toe, whimpering when the door didn't give way to the pressure and swing open, letting out the burst of cold air and the promise of being able to drop a box of your dumbass brother's shit and eat Pringles.. He pushed harder with his foot, applying more force until his Puma sneakers were trying to bore a hole into the wooden barrier. What if he didn't get in? What if his mom and Sora just sat down and ate dinner? What if they locked the door and forgot all about him? What if he was stuck out here all night? What if they ate his Pringles for dinner!? He began to feel slightly panicked, and worried he would consequently drop the box, or possibly panicked because he was beginning to drop the box. Signs pointed to the latter for fear of damaging the stylish Pumas and crushing his feet, but an inner voice clinging to his masculinity insisted that the hung - er, panic was inducing weakness on him, and that he would not normally drop such a puny item, he was a guy, after all. And being the strong, resilient guy he was, he did what seemed right.

"MOM!"

Footsteps, and then the door creaked open. "Roxas, honey, why didn't you just grab something smaller?" Momoko Hikari's concerned face appeared around the box, blue eyes wide and deep brown hair escaping from the vice-like bun it had been wrapped in. She stepped aside and let her son pass, watching fretfully as he dropped the box, and dropped to the ground.

"Um," he responded wittingly from the floor.

His mother frowned. "Why didn't your brother help you?"

"Er." Another clever response.

"SORA!" Momoko called out the door, pursing her lips when she didn't get an answer.

Roxas watched his left arm twitch with interest. "Think he left."

"What?"

His right arm twitched this time. Then both in unison. "Think. He. Left...?"

Momoko shut the door and slowly turned to look at her blond son. "And just where did he go, Roxas?" When he didn't answer, she stepped closer after locking the door, a gesture one normally associates with safety mangled into one that is ominously threatening. "Just where did he go, _Roxas_?"

Angry mother was worse than big box falling on your foot. "Well, um, I think - "

"_Roxas_..."

Angry mother worse than big box on foot! "I, uh, don't really - "

"Roxas!"

Frightfully, he squealed, "Riku's!" Good. She's not mad at you anymore.

"His cell phone?"

Fabricate, fabricate! "Off?"

"..."

"Mom?"

The brunette sighed and shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "Go get him."

"But, Mom - " Pringles...?

"GO!"

Angry mother big box FOOT, GODDAMMIT! screamed the sensible voice in his mind as he sprang to his feet and... rocketed straight into the closed door. His mother sighed and hauled him to his feet before opening the door and shoving him back out into the heat.

Roxas' lip trembled as he stared at the door, arms still jerking spasmodically. Maybe he would kill Sora after all, he decided as he started down the path, out the gate and down the cobblestone hill to the south. He shoved his hands in his pockets and began to observe the his surroundings. It was a nice neighborhood, likely to be deemed "upper middle class." It melted into a sort of strip mall, filled with independently owned businesses, all small and, as his mother would say, "quaint." He decided the suburbia of it all annoyed him, and stopped dead to decide upon a new direction to walk in. After chewing on his lip and turning around several times (earning him a plethora stares that were both affronted and wary), he veered down a narrow alleyway and came out into what looked at first to be another strip mall.

Predominantly featuring were the small, timeworn shops offering homemade potions and salves for ailments, rare and exotic items, mysterious (and sometimes unidentifiable) weapons, and foreign cuisine, but the street was also crammed with makeshift booths and even a few fruit and vegetable stands. The vast number of people milling about, vendors shouting prices and customers demanding better deals just screamed "bazaar." Roxas blinked for a moment, this not having been what he had in mind at all. He cut down another alley and met something in between the two, probably what the bazaar had looked like before overflowing with flesh, hoarse voices and the stench of gil and flesh.

And then Roxas realized with a pang that he recognized this street.

Ten years really was a long time, and yet he could still remember walking past there, eating sea-salt ice cream here. The tram was that way. The train was that way. He, Sora, and Riku had once gotten lost there, hidden here, before dropping Riku off at his house. He realized with a jolt that he didn't really remember where Riku's house was, just that it was somewhere in this direction. He could ask for directions, right?

It was a Sunday, and despite the teeming throngs that had clogged the bazaar, very few people seemed to be about in this area. He continued south for a good ten minutes until he came to a small building with a green fence surrounding it. There were flowers in the front, in all hues of pink and orange to match the twilight motif of the town. Bright purple letters over the candy-apple red door read DAYCARE.

Now this was a memory. Ten years, but he could remember it all. Seven of them. Sora, Roxas, Riku, Axel, Demyx, Zexion, and Hatsuware. Swings, a sandbox, a scraped knee here, beesting there, all bound together by them and the simple, carefree bond they shared. Bitterly, he recalled his family's move severing that bond. Axel was... Riku's cousin? A relative of some kind, right? Hatsuware and Demyx were jittery and nervous, and Zexion was the one the parents used as an example when they misbehaved. ("Don't you want to be like Zexion? He's playing quietly. He didn't run screaming after the man in the trench coat.")

And this was where he developed his love of Pringles. Yes, his first pop. And now he just couldn't stop. Well, he could, but it wasn't easy, and it was usually out of necesity, and because he'd run out of Pringles. Or Sora had done something weird and he had to go find him. Oh, the astonishing array of Pringles he had at home! Sour Cream 'n' Onion, Pizza, Cheddar, Barbeque, Plain! He drooled just thinking about it.

"Excuse me, but are you Roxas?"

Roxas glanced briefly in the direction of the warped voice that interrupted his reverie, then did a double take to find himself staring at a giant can of Pringles. "What the hell!"

"Once you pop, you just can't stop," it purred, moustache twitching amiably. "Go on, divert your attention from the no-longer-important task at hand. Pop me, you distracted, distracted boy."

Roxas began to sweat. "Pop you...? Wha...?"

"Silly, I bet you don't even remember my name, Roxas!"

His eyes bulged. "You have a NAME?" Suddenly his vision swam, and the giant object of his digestive fantasy was replaced by a slender ash-blonde with electric blue eyes. "What the hell! You were just - and I was - but then - oh, wait! Naminé!"

She giggled. "It is you... you came back." She smiled, in such a way as to make Roxas slightly uncomfortable.

"Uh, yeah, me, my mom and Sora," he ran his hands through his already mussed up blond hair. "How've you been?"

"I've been good. It's wonderful to see you again."

Roxas laughed nervously. "Heh, yeah, you too."

He looked over her shoulder, and she frowned. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Oh, no, I'm just trying to find Sora. Well, not Sora, but Riku's house. You know Riku, right? Well, Sora kinda left me alone back at our place to help Mom out with the moving, so she got pissed and sent me to find him, and do you know how to get to Riku's?" He spewed, eyes wide and polite smile faltering.

Naminé extended her hand, palm facing the sky. "Of course I know Riku. I'll take you to his house." She waited expectantly with her hand still outstretched.

"Um," he said, staring at her hand. What, did she want him to grab it or something? He hadn't seen her in ten years, and she expected him to skip and hold hands with her? She raised an eyebrow, and he slowly complied, taking it hesitantly. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied breezily, tugging him along.

Roxas had a sudden premonition that his day was going to be rather weird and filled with ghosts from his past... More than Riku. More than Naminé. More than just people even. He sighed and gave up on even entertaining the thoughts of his Pringles for today and allowed himself to be hauled through his hometown.

* * *

Axel Ukuhota leaned in the doorway of his half-brother's room, absently shoving violently neon green popcorn from the bag in his hands in his mouth as he watched the scene before him. Really, he had expected the two of them to grow up after ten years. Then again, those ten years had been spent growing up without each other, so maybe they needed some good quality six-year-old time together. He yawned and inclined his head to Zexion Jumine, who stood there with narrowed eyes and his mouth slightly open as he too observed the scene, shirtless and holding two shirts, one black, the other grey.

"Do I dare ask?" he finally asked Axel, who devoured the last of the acidic looking popcorn and tossed the crumpled up bag into the fray that was Sora and Riku.

The redhead wiped his hands thoughtfully on the acid washed, fitted jeans he was wearing, effectively coating them in the almost luminescent substance. "Sora took the remote. Been here for about twenty minutes and decided to play coach commando." He nodded at the shirts Zexion held. "Trouble with your wardrobe, Zexy?"

The pale teen frowned. "Black or grey?"

"Do they have designs?" Zexion held them up, revealing a ragged blue star on the grey one and the black one to be collar and button. "Hrm, black. They go better with your belt, and you look good in a dress shirt."

"I don't know how you can eat that garbage," Zexion replied absentmindedly, tossing Axel the grey shirt and pulling the black on. "I believe I heard the VisiComm on the fourth floor. Perhaps you should take a look soon."

Axel shrugged. "Later."

"And when your parents arrive unexpectedly, I'll allow myself a moment to reprimand you," Zexion told him, buttoning the last button and smoothing out his collar.

The redhead rolled his eyes in digust. "Why can't you say it normally?"

"I fail to see where my statement wasn't normal," the silver-haired teen snapped back, jutting his chin forward.

"What's wrong with, 'and when your 'rents show up, I'll say 'I told ya so''?!"

"Nothing, I suppose, I just didn't think to say it like that."

"Whatever, man," Axel scoffed, stretching. He hissed when the balled-up popcorn bag struck him in the face. "Yo, commit it to memory: do **not** throw things at me!"

Riku looked up from giving a squealing Sora a noogie. "Dude, don't be childish."

Whatever retort Axel might have bit back with, or pointing out of hypocrisy that Zexion would have done was interrupted by a loud chiming throughout the house. Riku and Sora jumped to their feet, Sora panting and glaring at Riku. Axel looked down the hallway with vague interest before catching Zexion's eye and heading in the direction the ringing was coming from. Riku tugged playfully, but harshly on a lock of Sora's spiky hair before darting after Zexion, winking at Sora over his shoulder. Sora howled and dashed after him, screaming threats. Zexion stared, slightly baffled at the behavior before hurrying after the three.

"Riku, I swear, I'm going to shave your head and tattoo guy-liner on you tonight! I'll dye all your clothes pink, and if I decide the shaving is too risky, I'm gonna put Nair in your shampoo, AND your Papou scented conditioner for extra measure, you girly man! I'm going to give you such a wicked purple nurple you'll never lactate _again_!!"

Riku laughed. "Yeah, right. Like you could ever even _catch_ me," he called over his shoulder, before running straight into the front door.

"Glad I sidestepped when I did," Axel commented, nudging his brother, who groaned weakly, with his toe.

"Maybe you should answer the door," Zexion suggested. "Whoever it is seems to be quite insistent."

Sora arrived, huffing and puffing. "Thanks - for st - opp - ing him - Ax - el," the brunette panted, dragging Riku away from the door haphazardly.

"No problem," Axel told the smaller teen cheerfully, before swinging the door open to reveal four blond(e)s: one flustered, one giggling, one comatose, and one scowling.

* * *

Yay! Chapter 1 complete. Hope it wasn't too short. Or sucky. O.O; Yeah. I know the summary said "one big soap opera," and this chapter was pretty much just a little peek into the crazy ass world I'm creating. I promise the drama will come eventually, and it'll be pretty massive. But, um, yes. Reviews appreciated, as is construcive criticism. Flames not really appreciated, but I can't exactly STOP you from submitting them can I? I'll update when I finish the next chapter. I think it's kind of mean to hold chapters hostage for a certain amount of reviews, especially since I doubt I'll get very many. Sorry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. I don't usually make any, but if I did... well, it's unbeta'ed. Sooooo... till next time. )

**Next Chapter**: Hatsuware's an insomniac, Demyx drops trou, and Roxas demands a ransom.


	2. Reunion

Sooooooo... it's April. Apologies for the lateness. Have been swamped by school and life in general. Between phone bills (I really, really didn't know it was long distance. Hialeah isn't that far away from Hollywood...), a vindictive chemistry teacher (bitch, bitch, bitch. But that's another story.) and a possible ulcer (or gastritis. I don't know yet. I still have to see a gastroendologist...) things have been... blah. But here I am! At 5:18 AM on a sugar high (thank you, chocolate...) no less.

I kinda noticed that several ages and heights have been altered. Hmm. Oh, and forget the whole not mentioning couples things. It's basically the canon: Akuroku, Soiku, Zemyx, and so on... it'll just take a while. With lots of drama and angst getting there. And most likely dramatic break ups and make ups. So, yeah. It'll all come together.

**DISCLAIMER**: I own nothing. Not making any money. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

Chapter 2 - Reunion 

Really, Demyx wished Hatsuware would at least give him a bit of warning before conking out on the tram. Yeah, it's not like she weighs a lot (in fact, she'd been rather bony lately), but still, carrying her from the tram to Axel and Riku's wasn't easy. He was beginning to wonder if maybe she didn't have insomnia, but narcolepsy. He sighed and shifted the sleeping girl further up his back.

And did she have to be pass out during the most boring part of the trip to their friends' house? He could take toting her from their street to the tram, because not only was it a shorter walk involving fewer hills ("Stupid hills," he mumbled.), but at least there was stuff to do on the tram. Scenery to watch, people to stare at! But no. As they were staring at one particular person, a lanky, pale man with neon blue hair wearing a mini-skirt (who wouldn't stare?), the blonde yawns and falls asleep.

Demyx pouted and trudged up yet another hill ("Stupid, stupid hills!"). He wanted to wake her up, and knew she would later scowl because he didn't, but he knew better. He had her health to think about. And his, come to think of it. Incurring the wrath of Zekusionu, Mother Hen, was not on his agenda. No, he'd rather stay in his friend's good graces today. He'd been rather irritable lately.

_Tooku de me o hikarasete; mezameru monotachi matte iru..._

The dirty blond hissed and nearly dropped his friend as his cell phone began to ring and vibrate in the pocket of his jeans. "Um, ooh, shit, stop, stop, stop ringing!" he moaned, looking around frantically for a place to set the sleeping girl down, eventually darting over to a bench and setting her down.

"Pilgrims," she murmured vaguely, curling into a ball, hair falling in her face. (1)

Smiling off the looks he was getting from Naminé and some blond dude she was with, Demyx thrust a hand into his pocket and withdrew the phone, still vibrating and ringing loudly. Glaring when he saw the name "Axel" flashing on the display for about the third time since he and Hatsu had left their houses, he flipped the device open and snarled, "What!?"

_"Yo, chill out, De. You two comin' over or what?"_

"We're trying to, but somebody keeps impeding us with phone calls!"

_"... Okay? Whatever. Hurry your asses up. Got it memorized?"_

"We are, you fucking fairy!" Demyx cried despairingly.

Axel snorted on the other line. _"Says the one who wore a dress last Halloween, of his own accord."_

Demyx flushed. "Shut up!"

_"Yeah, yeah, just hurry it up, will ya?"_

"Axel!"

Axel giggled (yes, giggled). _"Yes, darling?"_

"We are!"

_"Are not."_

"We are too!" Demyx wailed.

_"Hush, puppy. See ya soon. Mwah."_

The blond sighed. "Yeah, yeah, you too," he grumbled before hanging up. He looked up to see Naminé and her toy staring at him. "Naminé. Person," he greeted them. "What?"

Naminé looked flustered, and the boy just looked at her for an indication of what to do. They whispered for a moment before approaching in a vacillatory manner, while Demyx tapped his foot impatiently.

For a while, the three just goggled at each other, and occasionally at each other, until the unknown blond said, "Uh, you look like you could use some help."

"I have it under control," Demyx declared defensively, stamping his foot.

Naminé eyed the slumbering Hatsu dubiously. "Well, I think we're going to the same place. I'm taking Roxas here to-"

"Roxas?!"

The cry vibrated in the hot air for a few moments, before floating down like wasted helium. Roxas cleared his throat and smiled weakly. "Long time no see?" he ventured, voice cracking.

"So, you're the secret Riku's been keeping," Demyx said, more to himself than anybody else. "Ooh, can't wait to rub it in his pretty boy face when he finds out that we - well, I - found out before he could tease us - oops, me - with it more..." He seemed to remember just then that Naminé and Roxas were standing there. "Hi!"

The three stood awkwardly for a moment while Hatsuware mumbled incoherently in her sleep. "You sure you don't need help?" Roxas asked again.

"Yeah, but my destination is most likely the polar opposite of yours."

Naminé chewed a fingernail absently. "Where are you going?"

"Axel and Riku's," Demyx replied around his lip, which he had begun to chew on. He moved to pick up Hatsuware.

The petite blonde girl looked relieved. "That's where I'm taking Roxas, you know..." She stopped nibbling at her cuticle. "So, we can... open doors and stuff, okay?"

Demyx brightened. "Sure!" he said happily, lifting Hatsuware bridle style in his arms. She frowned and curled an arm to her chest.

Roxas had been worried about how he would keep up a conversation with a girl he vaguely assumed might be in love with him, and two former best friends, one of whom was passed out. His anxiety was soon assuaged, Demyx being the type of person to not shut his mouth in any situation. Roxas decided to loosely deem the exchange a dialogue, simply because Demyx would pause a moment for breath, and during that pause expected some sort of response.

"It's crazy, yeah? But I guess it's not totally surprising, 'cause Riku's had this furtive look in his eyes for the past coupla weeks, and come to think of it, he'd stopped with the 'Sora this, Sora that' bullshit - I mean, no offense, he's your brother and all, but seriously, did you know Riku would tell us stuff like when Sora went to the dentist? It was this twisted, stalker version of TMI - not the explicit kind Axel gives, like the size of his last hookup and how many cumshots he pulled off, just weird TMI, y'know? - and I'm actually super duper surprised none of us realized it had stopped." Pause. Breath.

Roxas couldn't help but think that any TMI was weird TMI, and noted to listen and see if Axel had a certain voice, or look - or God, maybe he should just not talk to Axel - when he gave this alleged TMI, so as to close his ears when it came about. He also made a mental note to not tell Sora everything, because then Riku would know it, and consequently, a large portion of Twilight Town would probably know it too.

"Uh-huh," Naminé said to Demyx.

"Actually, I'm sure Zexy did, and maybe Hatsu, 'cause they're just observant like that, but didn't say anything 'cause it would be like jinxing it, y'know? Like if they said anything, _BAM_! Riku would run in and give us an up-to-date report on Sora's bowels. I suppose if it starts back up again it might be a bit awkward to look at Sora, and maybe you - y'know Riku told us about that one time you were wearing this bracelet and it got caught on some dude's zipper, and it wouldn't come off, so you had to go to the nurse - I mean, you wouldn't believe some of the things we've heard about you two! But it's okay, I guess. I mean, maybe it's kept us close - " he paused, not for a reply, but because they'd reached the gates of what seemed to be a mansion.

"Whoa," Roxas breathed.

Naminé smiled. "Impressive, isn't it? Biggest place in Twilight Town."

Demyx nodded towards the middle of the gate. "Just turn the handle, I'm sure Axel had opened - not by himself though, pro'ly a servant, the lazy slut - so it's okay to just walk right on in."

Roxas turned the handle and the gate opened silently and easily. "So, um, you heard about the bracelet thing?"

Demyx nodded enthusiastically as he swerved around the gate to avoid hitting Hatsuware's legs. "Uh-huh. Not really sure what the circumstances were, but how many can there be for having your wrist near a dude's zipper, yeah?"

Roxas blushed. "It just sort of happened. He was walking by my desk and - "

"Suuuuure."

"No, really -"

"It's okay," Demyx insisted, winking at Naminé, who giggled. "I _totally_ believe you."

Roxas rounded on him. "I swear! It was an accident!"

Demyx snickered. "I have to remember to ask Sora if you always get so defensive about this," he mused. "But it's all in the past. So, do you have a girlfriend?"

"W-what?"

"Do. You. Have. A. Girlfriend?" Demyx repeated. "'Cause if you don't, you should totally hook up with Naminé. She's been single for the longest, and I'm completely lost as to why."

Roxas had to give Demyx some credit. Jumping from one subject to the next, especially when one was so dangerously embarrassing and perhaps sexual, and the next personal and completely out-of-bounds (for Demyx anyways. Actually, Roxas was getting the impression that Demyx didn't see anything as out-of-bounds to him.) was something of a feat. And he was holding a snoozing girl all at the same time. Not to mention that he wasn't really watching where he was going, but gazing around joyfully at the lustrous lawn of the mansion and speaking so cheerfully that Roxas was tempted to call it chirping.

Naminé was completely red. "R-really, Demyx, you don't need to - "

Roxas believed that Demyx would've waved the girl's words off impatiently if his arms weren't full of a comatose one hundred and twenty five pounds. Or maybe it was less. The girl actually looked rather bony. Perhaps that was why she had passed out. Lack of sustenance. Oh. Maybe Hatsuware was anorexic now. Perhaps not having the Hikari brothers in her life for so long had wrought havoc on her system, causing her to loose any and all appetite she had. Or maybe she was just skinny.

"Heeeeey, hush, Naminé," Demyx said over her. "You two deserve happiness. Rox, ring the doorbell, would ya?"

Roxas scowled and looked up, staring at the monstrously large, arched doorway before him, allowing his mouth the actually fall open two inches before it stopped falling, and he reached his senses. He then pushed an elaborate looking switch to the right of the door, a complex design of two fiery dragons coiled sinuously around a small orb of light, the doorbell. And then they waited. And waited. And waited.

"I wonder if I told Axel not to eat my popcorn..." Demyx murmured thoughtfully, shifting a gently snoring Hatsuware in his arms.

They waited some more until - _BAM_! the sound of what was unmistakably a body hitting the door, followed by that same body likely being dragged across the floor, invaded their senses, and the door opened to reveal a redhead with acid green lips. Behind him was a shorter boy with bangs that were so ridiculous they actually managed to work, and an enthusiastic blue-eyed brunette shaking an unconscious teen with silver hair and a bruised nose that was bleeding rather badly.

And they all once again waited, until Demyx could no longer tolerate it, and burst out with, "Everybody move so I can put Miss I-Think-I'll-Go-Comatose-on-the-Tram down on a couch, then kick your ass, Axel, for stealing my popcorn, again, and then maul you, Zexion, because you look stupid hot in that shirt!"

Surprised, frightened, and dare we say, curious, all present (save the knocked out Hatsuware) complied and stepped aside.

Roxas, not really wanting to witness anything Demyx had threatened (except setting Hatsu down. She did look as though she could use a good rest on a comfortable surface. Those dark circles made her look rather haggard. "Um, can I use your bathroom?" Roxas blurted to Axel, realizing that he was a bit nervous and that his bladder was a bit full, from all the excitement he'd been experiencing. Or maybe just all the Coke he'd been drinking...

The redhead looked him up and down, and then smirked. "Whatever you want, kid." Laughing inwardly at the mortified expression on the blond's face, he pointed through a set of doors. "Closest one is through those doors, down the hall five doors, on the right." Roxas set off, looking slightly relieved and more than a little pink.

Naminé nibbled her lip, feeling extremely out of place and desperate to leave. "I should be going. I was supposed to meet Kairi at the mall..."

Axel feigned a look of disappointment. "You never hang out with us, Naminé."

"I-I'm sorry. It's just th-" the girl faltered, actually summoning an expression of guilt and remorse.

Zexion rolled his eyes and shoved Axel inside. "He's being a fool. Go ahead and meet her. Have a lovely time." And with that, he shut the door.

Axel stared in amazement at the intellectual. "Harsh, much?"

Zexion shrugged. "I never cared for the girl."

"Too much white and happiness?" the redhead intoned, nodding wisely.

The lavender-eyed boy regarded him warily for a moment. "Sure, Axel."

They turned to find a sight that at the moment, seemed rather chaotic, but in time, the sort of thing would become ridiculously routine for them. The seven-way friendship may have put on hiatus by time, but they were all together again, even if one was straddling the unconscious, bleeding-from-the-nose other, one was comatose and drooling, one was charging furiously at the popcorn-thieving other, and one was struggling to open a set of doors leading to a hallway containing a now desperately needed bathroom, that was becoming more desperately needed by the common senseless second.

"Uh, _pull_ the door, Roxas," Axel called over, right before he was knocked over by a popcorn crazed Demyx.

* * *

Nee, so the chapter description I promised from last chapter didn't exactly hold true, but I realized about halfway through this that I despise setting guidelines for myself, especially when writing. THEREFORE! This piece of drivel madness was concocted. 

However, I hope you were able to enjoy it at least a wee bit. I did work rather hard on it (over a span of two and a half months - so it'd better be good, yeah?) Beta'ed and spell checked and everything. Edited, too. New inserts and dialogue and descriptions... and so on, and so forth. Ahh, and a song disclaimer - I do not own the song Sleepless Beauty by Iceman. Ooh, such a Gravitation fix lately. Love Gravitation.

But meh. School is awful. I'm so happy it's Spring Break. 'Cause that means it's almost summer, and then it means _I never have to go back again_! Because I'm done with high school! I shouldn't be, since I'm a sophomore... but I'm doing this half college, half high school thingy... it's like dual enrollment, but different. Gah. But whatever. I got in, so I'm thrilled. So did my gay best friend (YAY FOR JOSEPH 3) and all our plans for the future and getting an apartment in senior year are in view. It's a year and a half away, but hey. We DO plan sometimes...

But, end author rant, yes? Thanks so much for reading, and reviewing, and alerting, and I dunno if anybody did this, but faving... It makes me so happy! ;-; I might update CLD soon... who knows? When the muse decides to swoop down and pat me on the head is when things will start happening... And now, sleep before I have to gate crash the Hilton Owasumi nasai, Mina-san. You're all amazing.


	3. Silences

Mmm. Another sugar high in the early hours of the morning. How was everyone's Spring Break? Mine was... well, at least I didn't have to go to school. I had to talk one of my best friends out of killing herself one night, and in the same night, had to comfort another best friend who found out that one of HER best friends had hung herself not even an hour before. It was stupid, and overly dramatic, and unnecessary, and I haven't been sleeping a lot since. Which is why I apologize for the delay (I meant to finish and post on Tuesday...) and say enjoy! I actually sort of enjoyed writing this chapter... I noticed a lot of the POV almost seems to be from Roxas. I don't mean to do it. It just kind of happens that way.

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing. No profit is being made. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

It was Roxas' misfortune to reenter the foyer and discover that nobody was there. He vaguely heard sounds somewhere deeper in the mansion, but that didn't help him at all. He contemplated his situation briefly, and came up with the following options: He could leave and return home without Sora, which would result in only having to return to fetch Sora once more. Or, he could stand there and wait for somebody to come make sure he hadn't drowned in the toilet. The brave option would be to venture into the mansion and search for the others, but if he got lost, he was quite sure he wouldn't be found again for some time. He finally decided to combine the standing there option, and the brave option, and call out. Just as he was about to, however, Zexion appeared around a corner. 

"Did you get lost?" he asked Roxas dryly, rolling his visible eye when Roxas simply stood there and mouthed inaudible words. "Come on," he told the blond, turning back in the direction he'd come from.

Roxas blinked stupidly for a minute before following him. "Um, sorry. And thanks."

"Why apologize?"

A good question. "I, um... I don't know."

"You're worse than Hatsu," Zexion scoffed.

"What do you mean?"

"She's very apologetic." Zexion glanced at the blond. "More so since-" He broke off, frowning.

Roxas looked confused until a sort of horrified comprehension flooded his features, and then he looked away. "Four summers ago."

The two lapsed into a palpable silence, memories and unasked questions floating around in the currents and being whisked away. Roxas was too preoccupied to even admire the elaborate art hanging on the walls and notice how lush and soft the carpet was to walk on. Zexion, having studied the art in depth and rolled around virtually naked (but that's another story) in the carpet for nigh on thirteen years, and being rich himself, was rather accustomed to it by now. No, among the five who had remained in Twilight Town as they grew up, it would be Hatsuware and Demyx who still roamed the halls of the mansion with wide eyes and parted lips, gently running their fingers along anything that particularly caught their fancy.

Out of the two Hikari brothers, Zexion had Sora pinned as the one to follow the example of the lower class blondes, and Roxas to distantly admire the indulgence and splendor. The silver-haired boy was surprised with himself for such a quick judgment of character for not just one, but two people, two people who he'd seen once in a decade, and that one time being a funeral. He dismissed the thought feeling a bit perplexed, and made an abrupt turn down a hallway on their right.

"Um..." Roxas broached, trying to break the silence.

Zexion threw him a glance out of the corner of his eye. "What?"

_Should of had a question ready... _"Exactly how big is this mansion?" Roxas gurgled awkwardly, cursing himself for asking such a lame question.

The paler teen arched his visible eyebrow and opened his mouth to respond, when, from within a room whose door stood completely open a few feet in front of them, Axel's voice rang out. "Almost as big as my dick!"

"Well, that's just bewitching, Axel," Zexion said acidly as he walked in, and Axel grinned from the floor. "However, if your lascivious declarations wake her up-" he pointed at Hatsu sprawled across a plush couch "-I will murder you."

"Bitch, bitch, bitch, is all you do sometimes," Axel was retorting, still grinning, as Roxas trailed after Zexion. "Oooh, hello, pretty," he cooed at the blond, who blushed. His eyes narrowed and the grin became a smirk. "Geez, Zex, why's he so flushed? And what took you so long? And why's he got that embarrassed look on his face?" The redhead gasped dramatically. "And that awkward question! I, declare, Zexion..." he lapsed into silence, giving Zexion a meaningful look.

Riku exchanged an exasperated look with Demyx from his perch on the arm of Sora's chair, where he was cleaning up any remaining blood on his face. Sora was immersed completely in the show that was on and didn't notice what was going on around him at all. Demyx was changing out the discs in the game system.

"You declare _what_, Axel?" Zexion inquired wearily, walking over to a plush armchair like Sora's and settling into it.

Axel simply continued to stare at Zexion in that infuriatingly significant way. Roxas looked around the room desperately, suddenly getting a vague idea of what Axel was implying and developing a strong desire to curl under a rock and die.

Zexion's eyes narrowed and he began to stand up, at which point Axel sighed and drawled, "You totally nailed Roxas!"

It was at this point that Zexion turned in his seat and lunged over the side at Axel, Demyx began to laugh and then hit his head on the corner of the entertainment system, Sora snapped around, wide-eyed and livid in his chair, Riku was knocked off of the arm of Sora's chair by Sora's movement, and Roxas squeaked and buried his burning face in his hands.

Axel laughed and writhed beneath Zexion, who had him pinned and was poking him in the ribs, snarling. "H-hey, kn-nock it off, you know I'm t-tickli-KEE! Zexyyyy! Sto-ha-haaaaap!" Axel giggled, thrashing around and nearly knocking over a vase.

"Wait, who nailed Roxas?" Sora wailed, looking around in guilt and confusion. "Roxas, who nailed you? Was it Axel?" The brunette began to start towards where the redhead was being tortured by Zexion, while Riku sighed, as though he were used to such bizarre scenarios, and grabbed his best friend's arms.

Demyx simply continued crowing to himself, curled into a fetal position, half crying, half laughing, and rubbing a hand gingerly over his head.

Roxas stared in amazement, blue-eyes wide between his fingers. This couldn't be what they did on a daily basis. And yet it seemed so normal and natural, despite the crystal vase that was about to fall and shatter into a million splintery shards, catching the fragmented light of the, also crystal, chandelier that lit the room. Why there was a chandelier in what was obviously an entertainment room, Roxas didn't understand. It must've been a rich thing, he decided as he saw movement from the corner of his eye and behind his hand.

"Mmm..." came the soft murmur from the bony blonde girl on the couch as she shifted slightly, eyelids fluttering, but remaining closed.

All six of the boys froze and went silent, Zexion's fingers remaining arched where they would dig into the sensitive flesh of Axel's torso, Axel panting with one reflexively moved leg in the air, Demyx wide-eyed and clutching his stomach from laughing so much, Riku with his hands clamped firmly around Sora's wiry biceps, Sora frozen in an awkward position that was a halfway complete attempt at release, and Roxas still blushing and now curious.

The silence rang in the room, and was once again tangible. However, this silence wasn't muggy and thick like the previous one between Zexion and Roxas. It was fragile, careful, and thin, trying desperately to remain intact and yet screaming to be shattered.

And shatter it did, as Hatsuware's green eyes fluttered open and blearily took in her unexpected surroundings. "When did I fall asleep?"

* * *

Oh, my gosh! She woke up! And it only took three chapters::mouth drops:: Hee, that was fun. I don't know why. It just sort of was. Hmm... I swear, this story **will** start to go faster. We're just sort of... establishing the characters right now, I guess. 

Not much to say down here as far as author notes go...

Ah, I remembered something... I had a note last chapter that I forgot to include.

_"Pilgrims," she murmured vaguely, curling into a ball, hair falling in her face. (1)_

Well... I don't quite feel like going back and editing quite so much, so I'll just include it here, for those of you who A) actually noticed and B) give a damn. Heh.

**(1)** - See, I live with my brother, and he throws these parties, and my two friends, Joseph, and a boy we'll call N, came over to hang out with me. Well, Joseph did anyways. N just kind of shows up to drink, because he's stupid. So, they had no way to get home, and N passed out in a chair at the foot of my futon (yes, I have a futon instead of an actually bed --). My brother came in and asked how they were getting home. I shrugged, Joseph shrugged. So, my brother shook N, and demanded to know how they were getting home. To which N replied, "Piligrims."

Wasn't that fun and EVER so interesting? --

**Thanks for reading, and thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, fav'd, and alerted! I love you all!**


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